STAND. COM. REP. NO.2226

Honolulu, Hawaii

, 2002

RE: S.B. No. 2160

S.D. 1

 

 

Honorable Robert Bunda

President of the Senate

Twenty-First State Legislature

Regular Session of 2002

State of Hawaii

Sir:

Your Committees on Education and Health and Human Services, to which was referred S.B. No. 2160 entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO OSTEOPOROSIS,"

beg leave to report as follows:

The purpose of this measure is to establish an osteoporosis prevention and treatment education program within the University of Hawaii to be operated with private funding.

Your Committees received testimony in favor of this measure from the Executive Office on Aging and the University of Hawaii School of Medicine.

Your Committees find that osteoporosis is a bone-thinning disease that one in two women and one in eight men will suffer from in their lifetime. The disease affects the quality of life and a person's ability to live independently as they age.

Your Committees have amended this measure by removing the restriction on funding to private contributions and federal funding, thereby allowing state funds to be used in osteoporosis prevention and treatment education. For example, moneys may be used to teach health care students or community physicians about osteoporosis, and to allow faculty to use their University time to write grants to seek funding to teach or conduct research about osteoporosis.

Further, your Committees have amended this measure by making nonsubstantive, technical amendments.

As affirmed by the records of votes of the members of your Committees on Education and Health and Human Services that are attached to this report, your Committees are in accord with the intent and purpose of S.B. No. 2160, as amended herein, and recommend that it pass Second Reading in the form attached hereto as S.B. No. 2160, S.D. 1, and be referred to the Committee on Ways and Means.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the members of the Committees on Education and Health and Human Services,

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DAVID MATSUURA, Chair

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NORMAN SAKAMOTO, Chair